Automated systems have been generally described in the past for planning, scheduling, task managing, or monitoring, and the like, for purposes of managing a project. Many of these systems concentrate on particular aspects of the development of a product or service, such as the associated financial or manufacturing aspects thereof, but do not fully integrate all the varied tasks of the process. In reality, the development and evolution within a business enterprise of a new idea for a new product or service, or a change to an existing product or service, all the way from its genesis through actual market introduction and acceptance, can require numerous, even hundreds or thousands, of tasks and subtasks. In addition, the development of a new product often involves numerous tasks, inputs, interactions, and/or reviews for approval requiring the involvement of a wide variety of personnel within a business such as from among marketing, manufacturing, engineering, management departments, and so forth. Also, the completion of many tasks and subtasks is contingent upon information being available for use that is generated in other separate tasks. The ability to share, and have information ready for sharing or consideration when needed, is critical to an efficient outcome. This represents a complex process. Consequently, there exists a need for automated systems that can efficiently manage the entire idea-to-market product development processes within a business in a way that reduces the development cycle time as much as possible.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,044,354 to Asplen, Jr. describe a product planning system with gates using a server for storing centralized data accessible by remote stations via communication lines, which could be telecommunication lines for internet and e-mail capability. Among other things, a need also still exists for an automated computer system making it possible to permit automated screening and comparing of newly proposed ideas for projects relative to prior or ongoing projects and their results, if any, of the same business. U.S. Pat. No. 5,208,765 to Turnbull, U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,438 Sellers et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,848 to Matsuzaki et al., describe network-based project management/workflow systems with gates. U.S. Pat. No. 6,170,002 to Ouchi, U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,365 to Hayashi, U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,702 to Leisten et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,074 to Hughes et al., describe web-enabled project management workflow method and systems. U.S. Pat. No. 5,864,480 to Ladd describes a product development method and system with gates. U.S. Pat. No. 6,144,955 to Tsuiki et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,109 to Flores et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,999,911 to Berg et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,271 to Caruso et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,118 to Heindel et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,691 to Hsu et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,548,506 to Srinivasan, describe network-based project management workflow systems. U.S. Pat. No. 6,138,104 to Marchak et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,058,395 to Buzaglo et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,038,517 to Dobbins et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,137 to Lee et al., describe product development and project communications tools.
As can be appreciated, a need exists for a dynamic and facile automated system for the development of an idea for a new product or change to an existing product through launch which makes it possible, among other things, to consolidate and capture all of the various best practices within an enterprise or other relatively large suborganizational unit thereof into a single standardized automated workflow structure and approach. Automated systems permitting enhanced document and file management are also needed. There also is a need for an automated system for idea development which can filter newly proposed ideas in a more efficient and authentically automated manner. Also needed are idea-to-market development systems which are more flexible and customizable to permit changes to be made during the life cycle of a project. A tool for enhancing team collaboration also is needed, as well as integrated e-mail functionality to permit electronic interactions between task members as well as enable electronic transmission and retrieval of task-related documentation by task members and reviewers.